Nashville's resilience tested again after deadly Tennessee tornadoes
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
People piling scraps of drywall and other debris in Clarksville. Photo: Jon Cherry/Getty Images
Nashville's volunteers are surging to action in the aftermath of deadly tornadoes that ripped through neighborhoods and leveled churches throughout the region.
The latest: It's still not safe to venture alone into the hardest hit areas of Middle Tennessee because of dangerous debris, downed power lines and other threats. But plenty of volunteer opportunities are available.
- Hands On Nashville is tracking options in the Nashville and Clarksville areas.
- Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster is connecting people in need with resources while also sharing donation and volunteering information.
For example: Volunteers will sort clothing and prepare meals Tuesday in Nashville and hand out water in Springfield.
Why it matters: Nashville's resilience, which has become part of our identity, will prove crucial in the months ahead. Many of our neighbors lost everything, and it will require a sustained effort to help.
What they're saying: "Families in our community have just gone through one of the most traumatic experiences of their lives, and often times are not sure where to turn next for help," Savanna Maue, the communications manager at Hands On Nashville, tells Axios.
- "Thankfully, the Nashville community exceeds our expectations out the gate when it comes to helping their neighbors."
Maue says there has been no shortage of interest in early volunteering, with most events requiring a waitlist.
- But the need will stretch on for years. Maue says Hands On Nashville helped move a family back into a home affected by the March 2020 tornadoes this year.
- "Once the media cycle changes, this doesn't just go away. Folks' lives continue to be uprooted, and we hope we can continue to rely on our volunteer base to be there for these tornado survivors."
State of play: The National Weather Service is still studying how tornadoes moved across the midstate on Saturday.
- Meteorologists have determined that one EF-3 tornado with winds of 150mph cut a 43-mile path across three counties.
- Meanwhile, Nashville and Sumner County seem to have been hit by an EF-2 tornado with 125mph winds.
- Surveyors also found evidence of EF-2 tornadoes in Robertson and Dickson counties.
Zoom in: The aftermath was especially devastating in Montgomery County, where 114 residential buildings were destroyed and 290 others sustained major damage.
- "These numbers represent displaced individuals whose lives have been turned upside down," a statement from the Montgomery County government read.
- Government officials are posting a running list of volunteer needs on social media.
The big picture: As they faced a long recovery process, survivors gathered in gratitude.
In Nashville, Community Baptist Church members were together Saturday afternoon for an event at the congregation's facility on Dickerson Pike when the tornado hit.
- The church reported that its sanctuary and events buildings were decimated. According to Metro's Office of Emergency Management, 13 people were rescued from the church property after the building collapsed.
- While everyone at the church survived, members' injuries included broken bones such as hips and femurs, the church said.
Pastor Vincent Johnson addressed his congregation in a Facebook livestream on Sunday afternoon. Johnson promised counseling for those who survived the storm, acknowledging, "What we have experienced is not a normal day occurrence."
- "It is a miracle that we made it out. It is a miracle because God's hand was upon us."